Tell me if you've heard this before: A Phil Jackson-coached team has been winning games by the handful, led by an All-World swingman who is liable to score 50 points in any game, an underrated forward who puts up double-doubles with ease, and a cast of fundamentally-sound role players.

Now, we're not predicting that the Lakers will start winning championships like Jackson's Bulls teams of old, but the Lakers have found a winning formula this year that borrows from the template of a Jackson-coached team.

The Lakers, of course, revolve around Kobe. Any questions as to the status of his surgically repaired knee were put to rest on Thursday night with a 52-point outburst against the 13-3 Jazz. Bryant has averaged 33 points in his last five games, and seems to have returned to the form that saw him set records last year. His assist numbers also have improved by .5/game since last year.

Much talk has centered around the Lakers' youngsters this year, but we would advise you not to believe the hype. 19-year-old center Andrew Bynum hasn't cracked double digits in scoring or rebounding in the last five games, and recently lost the starting center spot back to Kwame Brown. Rookie guard Jordan Farmar had a similarly promising start to the season, but has suffered from inconsistent play and injuries over the last month.

However, if anyone could be described as the fantasy surprise of the Lakers' young season, it would certainly be forward Luke Walton. Walton has always had an ability to pass the ball, but he's finally added a scoring and rebounding touch this year. Walton's 12.4 ppg average this year is triple his career average. Pick him up for your fantasy team, and enjoy his across-the-board contributions.

While Utah has Carlos Boozer, who is a border-line #1 frontline scorer (something the Magic don't have), their team is crafted very similarly to the Orlando Magic. Both front offices look for locker room guys who are well-rounded team players and fit specific roles. Additionally, many players have alternated between the two cities, namely, Matt Harpring, Gordan Giricek, Carlos Arroyo, and if you want to stretch it, Michael Doleac played for the Magic and Majerus, so, perhaps he counts as well (joke).

The philosophies of both teams emphasize team defense, rebounding, and of course ball security. They also utilize 3-point shooters to stretch the defense, but mainly to re-distribute the ball back into the paint. Orlando only attempts 10.9 3-pointers a game despite having Hedo Turkoglu, Pat Garrity, Jameer Nelson, and J.J. Reddick who is buried on the bench. Utah on the other hand attempts only 12.8 per game. Orlando shoots the third fewest 3-pointers per game, while Utah shoots the sixth fewest. Both teams also shoot an IDENTICAL 48.3% from the field per game.

Utah though is the fifth highest scoring team in the league because Derron Williams has more favorable nightly matchups than Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard is not yet as polished an offensive player as Boozer, yet, both teams live and die by the pick and roll as well as the high-low post entry game. Until this week (when Utah dropped a couple games), both teams were also favorites of gamblers because they frequently covered their spreads due to energetic and capable second units. Both Sloan and Hill are quick with the hook and players like Derek Fisher, Paul Millsap, Ronnie Brewer, and Matt Harpring provide scoring and energy for the Jazz while Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling, Darko Milicic, and Trevor Ariza do it for the Magic. Out of the entire NBA, the Magic and Jazz are two of only seven teams (Nuggets, Warriors, Pacers, Lakers, and Kings) that have 9 or more players averaging five or more points per game, while also maintaining a winning record.

Defensively, both teams are also very similar when Andrei Kirilenko is healthy and Milicic gets minutes. Those two are the intimidators and shot blockers on their respective teams complimenting glass-eaters Carlos Boozer and Dwight Howard. While Milicic doesn't start, he is eighth in the league in blocked shots at 2.2 per game, while Kirilenko is fourth at 2.8 blks per game. Overall as teams, both are almost identical in opposing team rebounds, with Orlando allowing only 37.1 rebounds per night to the opposition and Utah at 36.1. They are neck to neck in that category with Utah number one in the NBA and Orlando number two.

Need more similarities? Orlando and Utah both have perimeter defenders who play the passing lane well, which allows both to finish in the top 14 in steals per game with Orlando at 7.4 per night and Utah at 6.9. While Utah has come out of the gate stronger, Orlando has two very young players in Dwight Howard and Darko Milicic, who improve by the game. At the end of the season, the Magic should improve offensively as the two hone their high-low post game to match the effectiveness of Okur and Boozer. Although Milicic cannot match Okur's range, he has the ability to roam the elbows and hit 15-footers. If Grant Hill stays healthy, the Magic and Jazz should make deep runs in the playoffs. Both teams move the ball well and play team defense reminiscent of the 2004 Detroit Pistons Championship team. Whether either of these teams wins it all is anyone's guess, but they are taking care of business in their respective conferences with the same formula: Play fundamental team basketball and wait for the other team to beat itself. Unless a team like the Lakers and Rockets, with two superstars, can gel and play team basketball on the level of the Jazz and Magic, we may have two twins facing off for bragging rights.

You probably don't need to be told that the Mavericks are for real this year. After opening the season with four losses, they've ripped off twelve straight wins. While much has been made of the quality of their opponents during the win streak, many have failed to note that seven of those wins have come against 2006 playoff teams.

However, what I've found even more remarkable about this streak is the manner in which it has taken place. The Mavs have won games by an average score of 103-92 during the streak, and only one of the Mavs' wins has been by less than five points (a 95-92 win over San Antonio last week). Their point differential ranks third in the league, and their team defense, long an Achilles heel of previous Mavericks teams, ranks seventh.

Most importantly, the Mavericks' winning streak has come as a result of improvement from players that aren't necessarily the Mavericks' "stars." Star forward Josh Howard was out for a chunk of the team's winning streak, and once-reliable shooters Jason Terry and Jerry Stackhouse have been inconsistent. Rather, it has been the Mavs' role players who have keyed the team's winning streak.

Chief among the improved Mavs is center Erick Dampier. Dampier has established himself as not only the top offensive rebounder in the league, but also the league leader in field goal percentage. His point and rebound averages are among the best of his career, and he already has half as many double-doubles (four) in the Mavs' first sixteen games as he had all of last season.

Devin Harris has also emerged early in the season. It seemed that Harris would not earn the starting point guard job out of training camp, but Harris took over the starting spot in the team's fourth game and has led them to 12 wins in his 14 starts. He has scored in double digits in nine of the last ten games, and has shot at a 50% clip on the season, a huge improvement on previous years. While we would like to see him hand out more assists, his 4.1 apg average is still well above his career average.

When you factor in the improved play of Dampier and Harris, combined with Howard's return from injury and Dirk's nightly All-Star effort, it is no shock that the Mavs have put together twelve straight wins. With games coming up against Washington and New Jersey, look for the Mavs to be riding a 14-game winning streak heading into next Thursday's game against Detroit.

T-Mac is dead. Gone are the baseline reverse dunks, the pick and pops, and the pump-fake behind the arc that many times resulted in 4-point plays. He used to be automatic and dare I say, built for Van Gundy isolation plays on the wing. He was a combination of Sprewell and Houston rolled into one threatening to shoot it in your eye or blow right by you.

When the season started and T-Mac came out of the gate slow, I figued it was a temporary issue of getting in shape following last year's herniated disc. I have a herniated disc as well and underwent the same Vax-D treatment as McGrady, which takes about five months to get right. McGrady has been on the shelf since April and he doesn't have the explosion or agility he used to have. When he comes off the screens and pump fakes, no one is biting. He can't get by defenders on his first step and is relying on his length and vision to create for others. While many fantasy owners aren't complaining because the assists are coming in bunches, those may not last long once defenses realize they don't need to shift over to his side of the court. Right now, McGrady is the beneficiary of unnecessary double teams and opponents are adjusting in-game.

What is the result? McGrady is stuck shooting flat-footed 3-pointers by game's end resulting in 30% of his shots coming from behind the arc compared to 23% last year. Yet, while his attempts from that range go up, his percentage from that area has gone down in each of the last five seasons from 38.6% in 2002 to 30.7% in 2006. If his name wasn't Tracy McGrady, no team in the league would allow him to continue chucking at the percentage he does. The only two players who attempt over five 3-pointers a game and shoot a lower percentage are Mike Bibby (29.3%) and Antoine Walker (21.9%), who's never seen a shot or buffet he didn't like.

At some point, if the Rockets are going to win, McGrady is going to have to stop shooting 3-pointers and find creative ways to score until he gets his explosion back (if he ever does). Van Gundy tried to post up McGrady early on against Memphis and Utah, but he was uneffective. Perhaps they should try that again because right now, McGrady is a big slow point guard who shoots too much considering his percentages (career low 40.2% from the field and 65.9% from the line). McGrady could also choose to come off screens for 15-footers and 8-10 foot leaners as opposed to stepping back on screens and chucking 3's. Perhaps some high-low give and go with Yao would help as well. Anything to get McGrady moving underneath the arc would be ideal. He is simply too comfortable taking bad shots right now.

What we should compliment McGrady on is his willingness to become a distributor. While he still shoots a lot by normal standards, he is well below his career average of 18.2 shots per game (including first three years in Toronto all under 13 per). He is willing to share and change, but more changes are pending if he can't regain his old explosiveness. As a McGrady fan, it's personally sad to see him like this.

During his weekly chat, ESPN's John Hollinger says Boston does not have enough to get Pau Gasol and thinks he'll be dealt once the ownership situation has resolved itself.
Hollinger on why Rajon Rondo's preseason success has not translated when it means something: "Because he hasn't played nearly as well in the games that count. Boston is handling him just right, giving him his 15 minutes to make a few mistakes and some energy plays with the second unit, but Telfair is the superior player right now."
Other Hollinger: 38 wins for the Atlantic Division title...Al Jefferson is a big question mark. (Umm, okay)
Celts Power Rankings: Sports Illustrated - 25th, ESPN - 25th, Sportsline - 23rd and Fox Sports/Dime Magazine - 21st.